Apparatus for playing a game of golf

ABSTRACT

A range for playing a golf game including, at the tee-off end, fairway grass, rough, a bunker, and a green on which putting takes place. The putting green includes indicia thereon designating distances from the cup in the green. Extending beyond the putting green, and located between fences defining side boundaries, is a continuous sequence of rectangular plates, each having an upper surface slanting to one side, to permit any golf ball landing thereon to roll into an adjacent ball return trough communicating with all the plates. Associated with each plate is a switch for operating ball distance indicating apparatus. The most remote end of the driving range includes a vertical wall with apertures therein, at various heights, through which apertures driven golf balls may pass and ultimately be returned to the tee-off end, by way of the aforementioned trough. Ball distance indicating apparatus also is associated with each of the apertures in the vertical wall. Some of the plates are provided with target greens, and hazards, such as a bunker and a water hazard, to simulate the conditions found on golf course fairways.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,826,501

Hiromachi Jul 30, 1974 APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME OF 3' Primary E.ranzinerGeorge .1. Mario GOLF Attorney, Agent, or Firm-George B, Oujevolk [76] Inventor: Akihisa Hiromachi 18-12 Kamiya 3-chome, Tokyo, IZita-ku, Japan [57] ABSTRACT A range for playing a golf game 1nclud1ng, at the teeplied: 19, 1973 3 off end, fairway grass, rough, a bunker, and a green on [21] APPL 342,771 which putting takes place. The putting green includes an. TAT indicia thereon designating distances from the UP in 30 Foreign Application Priority Data the green- Extending y d theiputtmg green, a

M 24 1972 J 47 34650 [U] located between fences defining side boundaries, is a 2? 1972 522 47 28359 continuous sequence of rectangular plates, each having an upper surface slanting to one side, to permit any golf ball landing thereon to roll into an adjacent 1 (5 273/176 ball return trough communicating with all the plates.

Associated with each plate is a switch for operating [58] held of Search ggfi g i fi ball distance indicating apparatus. The most remote end of the driving range includes a vertical wall with Rferences Cited apertures therein, at various heights, through which apertures driven golf balls may pass and ultimately be UNITED STATES PATENTS returned to the tee-off end, by way of the aforemen- 647.339 4/1900 Thompson i l A tioned trough. Ball distance indicating apparatus also 865,418 9/1907 Moe 283/l A is associated with each of the apertures in the vertical 1,171,548 2/1916 Shiland -283/1A wall. Some of the plates are provided with target 1,660,339 32 galufmann r 34 31 2 2: greens, and hazards, such as a bunker and a water haiiiaoi si m j aii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii "273/176 FA zard, to simulate the conditions found on golf course 313101310 3/1967 McKee 273/176 FA falrways' 3,504,912 4/1970 Jenney 273/176 A 1 Claim, 9 Drawing Figures 3,594,006 7/1971 Clatt 273/185 R PATENTED 3.828.501

FIG]

17 18 350W F162 F163 PATENTED M 3.826.501

sum 2 [IF 4 FIGA PATENTEIJ JUL3 01974 3.826 501 SHEEI 3 BF 4 PAIENTEB M30 3. 828.501

saw u 0F 4 FIG] 4 il ii APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME OF GOLF BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for playing golf which enable one to play golf in a relatively small place but with the illusion of playing in an ordinary golf link.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for playing golf, comprising a ball-hitting range with greens and bunkers, and having a straight course formed by joining a plurality of section plates of a uniform length disposed obliquely, said course being disposed ahead of and annexed to said ball hitting range, and has its object to enable one to play golf by utilizing a relatively small place advantageously.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI-IE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but with wire nettings removed therefrom;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of part of a course;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a ball-hitting range;

FIG. 6 is a score card to be used in playing golf in accordance with the rules and apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a modified embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a front view thereof; and

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention comprises a novel idea relating to an apparatus for a yard for playing golf, including additionally of golf practice range.

According to this invention, there is provided a ballhitting range having greens, bunkers, etc., ahead of which is provided a straight course consisting of a number of section plates of a uniform length arranged obliquely in continuation to each other, wire nettings are arranged on both sides of the course so that when a ball is hit from the ball-hitting range and falls anywhere on the course the position where the ball has fallen can be indicated and confirmed, and then a ball is hit again for the remaining short distance on the green provided in the aforementioned ball-hitting range.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

First, the description will refer to FIGS. 1 to 6. In the figures, l is a ball-hitting range provided with a pin 2, a hole 2', green-like grass or artificial grass 3 and a bunker 4. One single or a number of these ball-hitting ranges are provided side by side so as to be that a straight course 5 is connected to each of the ball-hitting ranges respectively. 6 is rough grass or artificial rough grass, 7 is fairway grass or artificial grass, and 8 is tee ground.

The course 5 consists of a number of section plates 9, 9 of a uniform length placed side by side obliquely, that is, section plate 9 has its upper surface 9 sloping downwardly on one side so that a hit ball upon falling upon one of the plates 9 falls into a guide trough 10 formed slightly obliquely in one side of the course 5 and returns to the ball-hitting range when a switch 11 provided on the inclined plate 9 is operated. Therefore, the distance over which the ball has run is ascertained. In the figures, 12 is a bunker provided here and there on the course 5, 13 a water hazard, 14 a pin, 14' a hole, 15 wire nettings provided on both sides of the course, and 15' shows an inclined wire netting. 16 is a score card indicating, vertically, a range indication X and, horizontally, a number of columns Y for filling in a players name as well as columns Z for indicating the ball hitting number of times, divided by lines for making sectional spaced 0, a and b, b to be filled in. The sectional spaced b are divided by an oblique line. 17 designates a vertical wall constructed at the forward end of the course 5 provided with plates 18 of the same effect as the oblique plates 9.

Being constructed as described above, the present invention enables one to play golf in a manner as described hereinafter.

Taking from the score card 16 the No. 1 hole as an example comprising 450 yards par 4 for playing, suppose that a ball were teed up in the tee ground of ballhitting range 1 and hit. Provided that the first hit ball had covered a distance of 200 yards there would remain a distance of 250 yards not covered. In this case, the rule is predetermined that if the first ball hit for example a bunker 12 then the second shot be done from the bunker 4 of the ball-hitting range, and in case the ball touches one of the wire nettings on both sides of the course the second shot be done from the rough 6, etc. Thus, the hitting range and the conditions are changed according to the circumstances. Now, provided that a hit ball had run a distance of 200 yards there would still remain a distance of 50 yards. Thus, the third shot is now to be done, but the conditions of hitting will have to be varied as in the case of the second shot according to the condition in which the ball has fallen. If the third shot cover the distance of remaining 50 yards it will be likely that the ball would have hit the green if the course were an ordinary one. Now, suppose that one would hit a ball supposing a pin on the course 5 to be one on the green and supposing also the range locating 10 yards forwards and backwards of the pin to be the green (in this case, be predetermined that the space between 40 to yards be the green). If the ball hit the section plate 9 bearing a sign of 50 yards the remaining course will be the zero yard, and if the ball hit the section plate 9 bearing a sign of 40 yards it will be deemed that the ball was hit the green 10 yards short of the pin. Accordingly, the hitting be done on the green 3 of the ball-hitting range. Since there is no distance remained in the former case the next ball hitting will be done at the position marked with 0, and since a distance of 10 yards still remains in the latter case the ball hitting will be done at the position marked with 10. This will thus complete one hole.

Next, let the No. 3 hole from the score card 16 having 175 yards 3 par course be taken as an example for playing. If the first hit touches the section plate 9 having a sign of 175 yards the second hit will have to be done at the 0 position on green 3, and if the first hit touches the section plate 9 with a sign of yards the second hit will be done at the position 5 on the green 3.

The playing will be done as described above, but in addition to the ordinary rules some special rules are required. For example, in case a hit ball runs over the ob-' lique wire netting it is termed as OB (Out of Bounds), and in case a hit ball falls within the course after touching the wire netting 15 or 15 it is deemed to have fallen on the rough so that the next hit will be done at the rough 6 and so on. These special rules can, however, be agreed upon by players themselves.

Next, the manner of entering the score card 16 will be explained, that is, the yard indication X and the column Y for filling in players names are identical to those of conventional cards, and in the Z column for indication of the number of strokes there are entered at each hit the distance the ball has covered in the column Z and the remaining distance in the column Z. For

example, with the No. 1 hole 450 yard par 4, the first hit covers a 200 yard distance with a remainder of 250 yards, the second hit also covers a 200 yard distance with a remainder of 50 yards, and the third hit covers a 50 yard distance, hitting the green, so that after the fourth hit the number of putting times is entered in the column for entering the number of putting times, thus the number to be entered in the column for the total number becoming 5, including the hitting number (3 in this case) and the putting number (2 in this case) added thereto. And in the case ofithe afore-mentioned OB the sign OB'is entered in the column Z, and in case the penalty should be increased due to the ball hitting the water hazard a sign P is entered to thus permitting a sufficient entering of the contents of the play.

Next, a modified embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

Throughout the figures, 101 is an elongate playing floor surface, 102 shows wire netting spread over the floor surface 101 in the form of and at the foremost end of the floor surface 101 there is provided a screen 103 comprising a number of belt-like rubber pieces arprovided respectively guide troughs 105, 105 in the form of a step adapted to return balls so that balls touch the screen 103 to pass therethrough and drop into the guide trough 105 through an oblique surface 106. Accordingly, any ball enters a different guide trough according to the height of the hit ball, and it is designed that when a ball touches a switch 107 provided at a point near the end portionof the guide trough 105 it operates a ball distance indicating apparatus so that the approximate distance of the hit ball can be ascertained.

As shown in the figures, the floor surface 101 comprises a number of section, plates 108, 108 disposed obliquely, connecting a lowerpost to a guide trough 109, 109 for guiding and returning the ball that has dropped directly on the floor surface 101, and the ball by its movement operates the switch 1 10 which in turn operates the indicator to show the distance the ball has run.

Thus, according to the present invention it is possible not only to hit balls from the ball-hitting range 111, but also to know the flying distance of the ball through the hitting.

The present invention comprises the construction as disclosed above and enables a number of players to play simultaneously and repeatedly and has the advantage of being constructed without requiring any large place and, moreover, players can play with an actual feeling as if they were playing in an ordinary golf link. The manner of playing is also very progressive.

What is claimed is:

1. A golf practice range, comprising in combination:

a. a plurality of uniform rectangular section plates (9) disposed one after the other to form an elongated golf course with near and far ends, said plates each having an upper surface slanting to one side;

b. a guide-trough (10) defined at said one side;

0. at least one bunker and at least one water hazard defined on at least separate plates;

(1. a wire netting (15) at least on both sides of said elongated golf course;

e. a vertical wall at said far end with graduations indieating distance with apertures therein at said graduations permitting balls to pass therethrough and drop into said trough; and,

f. golf holes and pins at said'near end. 

1. A golf practice range, comprising in combination: a. a plurality of uniform rectangular section plates (9) disposed one after the other to form an elongated golf course with near and far ends, said plates each having an upper surface slanting to one side; b. a guide-trough (10) defined at said one side; c. at least one bunker and at least one water hazard defined on at least separate plates; d. a wire netting (15) at least on both sides of said elongated golf course; e. a vertical wall at said far end with graduations indicating distance with apertures therein at said graduations permitting balls to pass therethrough and drop into said trough; and, f. golf holes and pins at said near end. 